Pennywise

Ah, that's a good approach. Thanks for the tip!

Hi, is there a downside to phoning departments to get results? I'm almost entirely positive I got rejected by two programs (because others have posted acceptances and wait lists on here), but for my peace of mind I would really like to get some official word. I am slightly worried it could be seen as a negative if I am by some fluke in a "just below the wait list" category or something. Also, any advice on the best way to inquire? Yes, I realize I am an adult and should be able to figure this out on my own, but this whole process is making me second guess every single one of my decisions and ideas... Thanks in advance!

Congratulations on Maryland! That's pretty huge! Anybody claiming the Penn State wait list? My online status just says "submitted," which is, while accurate, not very informative.

Case Western keeps emailing me that I've been preapproved to their nursing PhD program. Considering the fact that I have 1) never contacted Case Western, and perhaps more importantly 2) never demonstrated any aptitude or interest in nursing in any way in any part of my life or applications, this seems very odd. But I have to admit I open all the emails because in the midst of this radio silence from Sociology PhD programs, it's nice to see the vote of confidence haha. Maybe I AM a leader of the nursing profession, without even realizing it...

If you're committed to a tenure track job in a research institution, I don't think it is impossible in Crim, because it *is* a growing field, but I do think you have to be realistic about where those tenure track jobs are going to be. There are only 30 or so Crim PhD programs, after all, and lots of competition. Of course, there are also non-research institutions, and sociology departments. And jobs outside of academia. But it's a young field, so it could change in 5 years (maybe?).

As far as going crazy, let's just say that the very last thing I did last night was check the results (going to bed with the thought "is the 'University of Columbia' the same as Columbia University?"), and the very first thing I did this morning was check the results. It has gotten a little out of control ever since I got my first rejection this week. I need to meditate or something.

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Has anyone heard from Delaware? There's this one rejection on the results board, but my status on the UD site hasn't changed...

If your programs have already notified their accepted and wait listed students, it might be worth contacting them just so you can officially move on. I contacted one program because someone on here wrote that the admissions department told them that anybody who hasn't been notified yet is almost definitely rejected. I don't think it can hurt to ask. I emailed the dean of the one school that has already officially rejected me, and he actually wrote me a very long email of feedback about the process, which was very valuable in its own sad way lol. Alternately, you could go full throttle the other direction and download the GradCafe app for your phone. Just to streamline the obsessive checking process. I would do that except that I dropped my phone in a puddle on the one recruitment trip I took (which was clearly the gods telling me to chill the eff out).

Thanks for the feedback, darth. I was really scared by the idea of being one of 200 applicants for a job at an R3 (with my competition being from Princeton and Berkeley with 5000 first-author pubs, etc.). I am certainly open to tenure-track jobs at non-R1s, but the location is the non-negotiable part for me. I am going to try to find the ASA data you mentioned, thanks. I do have research interests that I am passionate about, but I'm pragmatic enough to take job prospects seriously, too. It's not too late for me to shift to another field, so I need to really do my research on those numbers... I also need to do more research about the job prospects outside of academia. Maybe the competition at think tanks, etc. wouldn't be quite as stiff.

I recently talked with a Sociology professor at a state research university in a major city, and he told me that in the past year there were two tenure-track job openings in his department, for which they received hundreds of applications from people so insanely qualified that he felt "humbled to be sitting in judgment of them. And I've been in the game for quite a while." This was his way of explaining how desperately bad the job market is for new sociologists in major cities, where there is unbelievable competition. Because of my husband's career, I would have to work in a major city, so I'm starting to get really worried. This professor suggested I focus more on quant, since I have the raw ability to do that, and many sociologists do not (any feedback on this advice?). He also thought that being more of a generalist could help, or shifting to a different social science. Any big-picture feedback on urban job prospects for Sociology PhDs compared to, say, Criminology or Geography or Public Health or Public Policy PhDs? I am new to all this and still trying to get my head around how employable I would really be in four or five years. I'm coming from a humanities background to the social sciences because I thought the social science job prospects wouldn't be as bleak. My emerging understanding is that that's true for Economics, but maybe not the other Social Sciences. Any recommendations for articles or books to read about this? Thanks in advance!

Congrats to you, too! I have a lot more research to do about American's program!

Oh, thanks for checking. I just checked, and I got in, too! The program at American is a little different because it seems to have evolved from a PhD in law, rather than from a Masters in law enforcement (i.e., police work). For example, it is called Justice, Law, and Criminology and is housed in the School of Public Affairs rather than the Social Science department. I wonder if that emphasis on law might lead to different types of job opportunities in law schools or elsewhere... Anyhow, I'm excited to have options!

Do you think Burris is really correct that "the graduates of more prestigious departments will tend to monopolize employment not only in elite departments but across the discipline" (Burris: 245)? The "tend to" in that sentence is one of the only vague glimmers of hope in an otherwise very discouraging article. I wonder if really productive grads of lower-prestige departments can make up for their lack of social capital. It sounds like it would require a lot more aggressive networking to make up for being academically born as lower-caste Untouchables. In the social sciences, I wonder how possible it really is to transcend your caste, even if you publish like crazy and are a networking whiz...

I am looking at it as having 6 1/2 months to write a nonfiction book on an unrelated topic. That could happen, right? I have a few projects I've been meaning to finish up in book form, and I know I will not have time to devote to anything off-topic once I start a PhD... I would also like to write the next Sookie Stackhouse series. If neither of those works out, I'm planning on starting a silly but wildly successful internet business then selling it to some multinational conglomerate by September 1st. That should cover my textbook budget for next year ... Why not, right?

Ah I thought I might have a shot at Yale, but I guess it wasn't a good fit (I'm assuming that the fact that others have heard from Yale and I haven't means I've been unofficially rejected). I've been doing Crim research on a topic nobody in their department is interested in. I mean, I KNEW it wasn't a good fit, but I was hoping they would ignore that pesky fact lol.

Are you an undergrad? Congratulations on the new baby!

sadderthanithought, congratulations! I wonder why someone turned down NE -- maybe not a good research fit. Are you going to their recruitment event?

Girlwholived and ns25, thanks so much for your advice. Based on that, I decided to do the visit next week. Yeah, relocating would be the hardest part of this, but I guess that's the life of an academic. NS, your points are really good about not necessarily thriving in the program with the best ranking or other factors that look good on paper. Like, the stress on my relationship from relocating COULD end up outweighing the fact that NE is a really, really good fit research-wise (and the professor I would be working with has an excellent data and funding track record). I have a lot to think about in terms of where I would really thrive, all things considered. You're lucky that you're making the decision without a family! I applied to three Ivy League sociology programs plus another school in Boston. I'm embarrassed to say which ones, because then I'll have to acknowledge it when I don't get into them lol. I've never taken a sociology class, and my research interests are crim, not soc, so it was just really weird for me to even apply to soc programs. I am eagerly awaiting those rejection letters, just so I can have final resolution... Which did you apply to? Also, what are your thoughts about career prospects for criminology PhDs? There are so few pure crim programs that I'm a little worried about being on the market 5 years from now -- how many job opportunities will there really be? I'm VERY interested in a career in academia, but it's so incredibly competitive that I have to be realistic and wonder about non-academic prospects for crim PhDs -- are they as good as for sociologists? I have a friend who just finished his crim PhD who's applying to all these universities in England because he hasn't had luck with sociology or crim programs in the US, and England is where the academic crim jobs are. Boston is one thing, but rural England might be a LOT to ask the ball and chain lol.

Hi, I'm a longtime lurker who's also excited that you guys posted here, because I also just got into Northeastern Crim. I am not sure if I'm going to the event on the 12th-13th. Do you think it would look bad if I didn't go? I want to check out the department, but I'm taking classes now and am worried about missing class. Do you know how competitive admissions are for Northeastern? I was very surprised I got in, because my application had some weaknesses. I am still waiting to hear back from 3 other crim programs (Penn State, Delaware, and American), and 4 sociology programs (which were a longshot and I would be completely floored if I got into a single one). I live in the Philadelphia area, so Penn State and Delaware would be much less disruptive to my life (and especially my husband's life). Having said that, Northeastern looks like a great program, and I've always really liked Boston... What factors are you taking into consideration?